Blood Affairs
by Mak3sh1ft
Summary: What twisted events await the young lady in her attempt to discover her rightful place in the mansion? Rated M for suggestive language and explicit scenes and blood of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Clearly I don't own Diabolik Lovers. All rights belong to the respected owners. This takes place right after episode 12 in the anime. Was anyone else annoyed with Yui in the show? I was. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of OOCness and Yui was never good at defending herself. So that means I have to write about her in that context. (You're a pain in my ass Yui, or in this case, my neck. Ha!) I don't know where this story will lead, as is the nature of life. I will write as I see fit. That is all. Enjoy.**

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The moon was barely visible against the midnight sky, with clouds in large masses blocking its light from the garden. The night creatures rose to peak with their intricate sounds of life and despair.

Yui enjoyed the peace it gave her, even the ghastly appearance of the flowers pleased her. They reminded her that she wasn't alone in this uncomfortable darkness with Ayato on her balcony. He made sure to be the very first one she saw when she came back to life. Just now, he'd handed over her cherished rosary. Apparently, he had kept it, saved it for her.

She wondered what that meant.

"It's useless, you know."

"What's useless?"

"That rosary. It's a pointless thing to rely on," Ayato said. "You never even wear it."

Surprised that he'd even noticed something like that, Yui stared down at the piece of metal in her hands.

She wasn't quite sure why she carried it around. She believed in God. Although, her sense of faith did not require the support of evidence, she took comfort in the solidity of her rosary's design. It was an old, vintage piece of silver and now that she thought of it, she couldn't remember when she'd received it; it just had always been a part of her.

And she believed that it might very well be her last connection to the old life she knew, to a normal, human world with her father. She hadn't bothered to figure out how.

Ayato would just laugh if she told him.

She stayed quiet, staring out into the garden. But she ultimately grew suspicious of his silence and gave in to her desire to gaze over at him.

She wished she hadn't, but was already captivated by his bright emerald orbs. The remaining of his features were hard and undiscerning, the curve of his jaw had tilted slightly in way that suggested his twisted thoughts. His crimson hair fell carelessly over his forehead to frame his wickedly attractive face. And she could see the lust and untamed hunger present in his stare.

"How naïve can you be?" he asked.

"W-what do you mean?"

"You think that I'd do something for you out of the goodness of my _heart._" He moved so quickly she felt light-headed. Ayato grabbed her wrist and forced her against his him.

Her heart was already racing. She felt a mixture of fear and excitement, but wouldn't dare show the latter. It might arouse his sadistic intentions even more.

He placed her hand on his chest and grinned. He had a dangerous smile.

"Do you feel that?" He leaned in to her ear. "There's no heart in there. Put your faith in me, Yui. Only me."

Even as she began to back away, he was already inclining towards her neck. _No! _She wanted to scream. _Get away from me! _But she felt powerless to do anything, after all, she had just woken from eternal rest merely an hour ago.

Her soft whimpers and pleas went unnoticed to Ayato's ears as he skimmed the surface of her porcelain skin with his lips. It sent flutters through her lower stomach.

"I can hear your heart beating faster. That happens when you're either scared or excited. Which is it now? Tell me. Tell me or I'll find out myself." He then used that beautiful mouth of his to trail soft kisses from her ear down to her neck where he stopped.

"I-I don't know," she murmured breathlessly. She felt like she was floating above ground.

He pulled back to look into her face.

"You seem to be enjoying this. How pathetic. In time, you will grow to want me more," he said gravely. He then laughed so suddenly, Yui flinched. Even his laugh was malicious, a deadly ensemble of delight and irritation. "You might even love me! I swear, you're the simplest creature I've ever met."

He bore his fangs and gathered her close where she could feel the rigid bones of his hips pressed against hers.

He nibbled behind her ear and she could feel his warm breath teasing her neck. Just as the tip of his fang brushed against her, she squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation. _Please, no!_

"Please…_A-Ayato_…please," she cried softly.

It was when she said his name. He paused.

She was afraid to move, afraid to breathe. The behavior of a vampire was extremely unpredictable, not to mention, any action on her part might accidentally sink his fangs into her.

After a few moments in the same position, he kissed her.

His mouth grew anxious every second it lingered there, bringing her body closer as he sucked ravenously on her neck using only the silkiness of his lips. But Yui immediately knew that it was not intended for pleasure. It was rough and insensitive. His lips were clamped tighter than a normal lovers kiss. Then he used them to stretch her pale skin as far as he could to torture her, it made Yui cry out.

"You've lost enough blood for tonight," his voice was hoarse and deeper than normal. "I can't have you dying on me again."

She couldn't help the chill that ran through her at his subtle implication that she would definitely lose blood the next day.

He stepped back and smiled mischievously, taking the rose she'd been holding in her other hand. He sniffed it briefly, seeming bored of it, and began to leave.

"I'll be back later," Ayato said, casually flinging the rose behind him. Yui tried to catch it, but it already fell over the balcony ledge. "Yui."

She turned to face him. He had stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly over his shoulder.

"Don't ever do that again," his voice was hard, but there was something different there. "It's important that you live."

After she was sure he was gone, Yui went into her bedroom and locked her door. There was no point in the manner really. If Ayato wanted to come in, he would get in somehow.

It still made her feel a little secure as she heard the bolt click into place.

What did he mean by what he said? She wondered as she changed into her sleepwear._ Why is it important for me to live? _After all the time spent in that mansion, Yui still hadn't figured it out.

_I'm I alive only to provide my blood? Is that why they saved me? _When she had stabbed herself in the chest, she did it to save them. She didn't want anyone else to die, even after all their torment. She was still compassionate towards them and believed that deep down they might actually care about her.

_Ayato said he was coming back. _She thought with dread. Did he mean he intended to take her blood since he didn't this time? Or would he sleep in the same bed with her tonight, like he had before? She swallowed hard and held her stomach as the sickness began to fester there.

She would rather he drink and leave, than to drink and stay.

She didn't sleep at all that night he had joined her. On the contrary, Yui was in constant panic that Ayato would attack her at any given time. Much to her surprise, he hadn't done anything of the sort. He had just laid there with his arm draped over her. It must've been several hours later when he left. Before he did, however, he came to her bedside to watch her.

She had pretended to be asleep. She couldn't forget how close his face was to hers, how his eyes burned through her skin and scorched her soul. She was terrified. But she made sure to keep her breathing even and her heart rate steady.

He had left as the sun began to rise.

_I hope he was just joking about coming back, _she thought as she carefully slipped under her blankets.

She sighed as the day's events finally caught up to her. And winced from the pain that shot down her spine. Her chest wound from earlier still throbbed, even after the medicine Reiji gave her to kill the pain. The medicine made the knife-wound numb and durable, for which she was thankful.

But Reiji wasn't happy at all about making it for her as she remembered, he called her a high maintenance servant.

Tsubaru had stitched it and wrapped it up tight.

He had struggled.

_Everyone seemed to be so concerned about me at first. I almost believed things could be different here. But they threatened me, each of them. They all want my blood. Papa, wherever you are, please hurry and come back home. Come back and find me. Please God, save me from this place. If you don't, I'm going to die here._


	2. Chapter 2

Living in the mansion seemed to heighten Yui's hearing considerably since she was always afraid of one of the guys sneaking up on her. It didn't take much to frighten her either. Often times she was startled by the slightest sounds.

It was the sound of her door easing shut that had her eyes pop open that night.

Her heart was already racing. Who had just been in her room?

Somehow, the air felt heavier and the smell that wafted through it was different.

A vampire's scent.

They all had one, Yui decided as she sat up and gave herself a quick inspection. But she knew Ayato's scent much better than the others. It was something dark and alluring all the same. It frightened her, as well as enticed the better half of her curiosity to know him better.

The one that lingered in her bedroom air did not belong to him.

Yui rose from her bed to lock her door again. Before doing so, she carefully opened it and peeked outside. She was met with a desolate hallway. The darkness began to scare her so she closed it.

"Were you looking for me, little bitch?"

She froze at the voice behind her.

Laito.

Yui slowly faced him.

"I- I thought I heard something," she answered.

He was standing on the side of her bed with this hands in his pockets. His back was facing her balcony where the only light of the moon slipped through. His eyes seemed to be glowing like that of a cat.

He was hungry.

He rolled his eyes and made small strides toward her bed. "Well, this is an old mansion," he said, pulling a fistful of rose petals out of his coat. He tossed them carelessly over her sheets. "You will hear many noises in the night. The next I hope to create, is the sound of you and I making passionate love together."

Yui kept her hand on the doorknob behind her. She tried her best to control the sickness that trapped itself in her throat.

Laito stopped in mid-grin and frowned.

"What's wrong? I thought the little bitch would be happy that I will be the very first to have you in every way. So come on, let us enjoy ourselves." His smile revealed his devilish fangs.

Yui bolted from the bedroom into the hall. She didn't know where she was running, but her legs knew to take her in the direction of the moonlight. However, before she could reach the end of the hall, Laito materialized in front of her and grabbed her wrist.

"I love a good chase, little bitch," he said humorously and brought her hand to his lips. She felt his other hand trailing the edges of her nightgown and then begin to lift it away.

When she felt his cold fingers skim across her thigh, Yui found the strength to wrench herself from him and race toward the other end of the hall, into the complete darkness, which probably terrified her much more than Laito now.

She closed her eyes since she couldn't make out anything else but the walls, only opening them in spots where there were windows, where the moon could show her the way to safety.

She gave a small scream when someone reached out and yanked her into a room.

A hand immediately went to cover her mouth.

It was a tall man, whose body was so close, she could smell him. She recognized the scent though. It was the one she found in her bedroom not long ago.

"Be quiet, or I'll let Laito have you," he said calmly. "Understand?"

Yui nodded and he took his hand away and stepped back.

"Here, take my hand," he said. "Stop trembling. I just want to see you."

She had no idea which room she was in, nor the way out. She didn't have much of a choice. Cautiously, Yui reached out her hand.

The mysterious vampire gently took it and began to lead her through the pitch blackness of the room. So he knows the place, Yui thought. But who was he, and why was he here?

He led them to another door. She heard him open it and suddenly, the shimmering moonlight filled her vision. She could see his back as he walked in front of her. Although it faced her, he was remarkably built.

The back of his head presented dark black hair with silver tips. He led her to a window where the moon seemed to shine the brightest and faced her.

His unnatural beauty astounded her. His choppy locks framed deep grey-set eyes that seemed to smile strangely at her. He wore a simple black V-neck with a grey blazer and a smirk that Yui couldn't decipher.

"I would have waited until tomorrow. But since you're awake...It's Yui, isn't it?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"When I'm ready to give you that information, I'll tell you," his voice was like silk, but there was a certain edge in his tone that made Yui uncomfortable.

He still had on that same smile, as though he was watching a performance.

His eyes were burning into her so she kept her focus on the ground. "It's a wonder you're still alive in this place. Have they treated you well?"

Surprised, she glanced up at him. "I'm fine."

"I see. Tell me, does this 'fine' nature of yours often have you running through the halls in the middle of the night?"

She was quiet.

"Then again, I suppose I can see why they're all in a frenzy. You do smell really good." His eyes grew darker as his gaze lowered to her neck. "Don't worry. I choose not to sample you until you make a full recovery. I'm sure your blood will taste like medicine right now and I might be inclined to kill you because of it."

"Ruki. What are you doing in here?"

The man turned around to face Ayato at the other end of the room.

"What? I only wanted to meet your… pet." He turned back to Yui. "I guess that ruins introductions. My name is Ruki. Ruki Mukami."

"Yui, come here," Ayato ordered.

Ruki was still holding her hand. When she went to move he squeezed it.

"Will you be so rude? I don't believe we've finished speaking."

She paused, confused. What should she do?

"Yui," Ayato said more firmly. "Come. Now."

She moved toward him and Ruki tightened his grip.

"Stay. Speak to me instead. I would like to get to know you better." His eyes scared her though. They said something entirely different.

Yui finally realized what was going on. Ayato was showing Ruki how well she was 'trained'. This was all a game to them. Vampires didn't live for much. Their lives were infinite and they had seen far more than she could imagine. Yui knew that she was their only source of true entertainment. It saddened her.

"Um- I. It was nice to meet you. T-thank you, Ruki."

He loosened his grip. "Very well. Until next time, Yui. I will have the pleasure of a proper introduction."

Yui met his gaze one last time. That strange smile was still there. She walked over to Ayato who seemed to beam with satisfaction.

"I smelled Laito in your room," he said as he led her out into the hall. "And here I find you promising yourself to another. How disgraceful. Were the rose petals for him too?"

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**Reviews would be nice. I decided to incorporate a character from the game. I'm still tweaking his personality though. Each of the Diabolik vampires will have their own chapter, unless you all strictly enjoy AyatoxYui development. Also, I can't describe how awkward it was for me to keep calling Yui a little bitch but you know how Laito is. He doesn't call her anything else. I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up. So follow and stayed tuned until next time...**


	3. Chapter 3: Breakfast

Breakfast was served in the evening at eight o'clock sharp, although, it could hardly be called that. Yui always found it hard to eat with her predators watching her, as if they were watching cattle fattening up for harvest. And her plate was usually the only one filled with food. The others would just drink from large wine glasses of blood. Yui always wondered whose blood they were drinking. Though the thought completely repulsed her, it made her hopeful; maybe she wasn't alone in this miserable life. Maybe there were others they held captive and tormented elsewhere.

Yui always arrived on time, but Reiji was still mildly irritated when she entered the dining hall, a dimly lit room surrounded by bright candles.

The silverware was neatly and carefully arranged on the table. A single black cloth covered it, and a crystal chandelier hung overhead with more candles placed in it to cast an eerie glow in the room.

Reiji took the head of the table while the rest of the group sat around it. None of them spoke, which was usually normal, except when they were harassing Yui, but she sensed something was wrong when she entered.

She paused in the doorway. Maybe they didn't want her to dine with them tonight.

Shu lifted his eyes to meet her with an indifferent stare.

Laito swiveled his head around and smirked.

"Ah! The main course has finally arrived."

Without looking at her Reiji spoke in a tight-lipped voice. "Sit down." His voice echoed in the large room.

"Oh-I'm s-sorry."

She proceeded with caution to her sit in between Kanato, who was occupied with murmuring in his little bear's ear, and Subaru who didn't acknowledge her. On the way she pretended not to notice Laito running his tongue along his top lip.

She noted Ayato's frown when she took her seat and wondered what may have happened to him the other night after his encounter with Ruki.

Her breaksfast tonight consisted of chicken liver, spinach, and a generous portion of prune juice to chase it down. All iron rich food for healthy blood, to quench the thirst of her captors. They never hid their impatience for her wound to heal either, some nights she received only a huge plate of spinach and prune juice with Reiji directing every forkful to her mouth.

"You would think," Reiji started in a voice that made Yui lower her head. "That after all this time here, you would have learned to respect the customs of this household." He said, lifting his glass to take a sip. "But you're still the clumsy fool you were when you first arrived."

"Clumsy fool," said Kanato with a short laugh, snapping his head towards her. "You hear that Teddy? We are graced by the presence of a clumsy fool." He lifted his one-eyed bear to face her and she flinched, almost relieved that it wasn't a real attack. "Fool. The fool is afraid as always. I like it when she's scared." His eyes lowered to her plate of untouched food. "Her fear stifles her appetite Teddy."

"You don't like the food here?" Kanato asked with a melancholy voice. "Why doesn't she like it Teddy?"

"It's not that," Yui said gently, taking a forkful of spinach to prove it. "I do like it, I-"

"Liar!" Kanato replied, thrusting Teddy at her. "Teddy doesn't believe you."

She looked up as Laito brought his glass from his lips and gave her a bloody grin. "Satisfying, but it doesn't quite quench the craving like your blood does."

"I-" The longer she sat, the sicker she felt. When she turned back to her plate, Kanato was inches from her face and she almost screamed. Unlike the others, who plainly displayed their thirst through their eyes, Kanato's were empty, completely devoid of anything, but the longing to hurt Yui, to hurt her badly in a way she wouldn't dare picture.

She forced herself to look away, registering the familiar feeling of lightheadedness.

Kanato proceeded in lowering his head to examine her food closely. "I see why she's not eating. This food-, " he shook his head. "It's not very appetizing is it?" He glanced at Reiji. "Teddy says she might prefer blood." He traced his eyes along her neck. "So would I Teddy."

At this, Reizo rose and slammed his hands down on the table, clattering the silverware, and startling the only human at the table. "That is enough!" He growled, glaring viciously at Yui. "I will not have you turning down food I went to great lengths to provide for you, you ungrateful wretch." He leaned forward. "Your food is essential to maintain the potency of your blood. Without which, your life is completely useless to us."

"Really, now. I'm sure I can think of several uses for a mortal girl," Ruki's voice bellowed from the entrance. He gracefully moved in the room toward Reiji. He looked the same from the night Yui met him, only he sported a white blouse and a black blazer. "Aside from her blood, that is." He fixed his gaze on Yui then, and she felt her temperature rise as she took in his scent.

Reiji turned his glare on Ruki. "I thought you had left."

Ruki cocked his head to the side with a challenging look. "We still have unfinished business. Now, will you be inviting me to breakfast, or not?"

A scowl was plastered on Reiji's face and Yui watched him strain to arrange his mouth in the words "Very well. You may sit."

While Reiji turned to leave the room, only turning his head once, Ruki claimed his seat at the head of the table. Yui was surprised that Reiji said nothing. The rest of the vampires were silent as well, but they stiffened when he sat down.

"It's nice to see you again, Yui" Ruki said with a nod of approval, his eyes seemed bright and attentive in the glow of the candlelight. His gaze swept across the occupants of the table with careful consideration, and he seemed so at ease and in control of his thirst as he tasted from Reiji's glass, like a wine connoisseur.

Yui wanted to know where he came from, but she was afraid to ask.

"So tell me Yui, what's it like living in this mansion, isolated from the rest of the world?"

She hesitated. She glanced at Ayato, whose frown deepened. "I've, uh- never known the world. Only this mansion…and the church."

He swished the liquid in his glass slowly, contemplating her response. "Yes, I've been told you were raised by the church."

She watched him take a long, savoring sip from his breakfast glass. When he noticed her observing, he brought a handkerchief to his mouth, patted it lightly.

"You think we're monsters, Yui. Empty bodies powered by blood, crippled by the need for it."

Her face grew hot with shame. Surely, vampires were more than that. She always believed that deep down they cared about something besides their next meal.

"I thought the same for a while when I was human. Until one day, I realized that my life was more abundant than mortals in the general simplicities they claim fulfill their lives; adventure, hate, war, desire. All of which contribute to cognitive development and perception. But you've only known ritual, religion, and sacrifice which is why you can tolerate this place and the nature of our kind." His expression grew hard and his eyes darker under the candlelight as he focused on her. "We have seen and done far more than you can imagine in this world. Every life we have taken fills us with knowledge that goes beyond text and exercise. Humans live the way they've been taught to live, but we have surpassed the capacity of free will. So, who's really the hollow creature here?"

"That would be you," Reiji replied as he re-entered with his own breakfast.

With a fleeting look of laughter in his eyes, Ruki turned his attention away from the girl and smiled for the first time. Yui found it very sharp and quick, like the shifting of his moods.

"You'd think after all that knowledge, you'd have gained a speck of decency," Reiji said, shaking his head. Yui noticed that Reiji didn't try to claim his own seat, but went and sat at the opposite end of the table.

"I guess I'll have to repent later," Ruki said, amusedly. He stared at Yui until she became uncomfortable and brightened his gaze again in that dreamy way of his. "Yui, you look marvelous tonight." Then, he raised Reiji's glass in the air, smiling only with his eyes at her. "To your health."

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**I appreciate the follows and favorites and I would love to hear from you guys as the story progresses. Sorry about the long wait. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in a few weeks, but no promises ;) If you are truly interested in seeing where this goes, I suggest you follow and stay tuned for the next chapter! Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4: Sounds of Life

**I've literally had this chapter sitting in my folder for several weeks. Mabye months. It was nearly ready for posting, but it took me this long to accept it. Sometimes it takes stepping away from a story to return with a fresh pair of eyes. Enjoy. Comments are well appreciated. I like to know that I'm writing for people, not this site. **

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After dinner, Yui quickly made her way back to her room. All she could think was the horrifying idea that the guys might be in the mood for dessert. That, and the way Ruki stared at her over the rim of his glass.

She wondered how long he planned on staying. Worse, she thought with a gulp. Did her captors intend to share her with him?

These thoughts haunted her as she tumbled face first into Subaru's chest. She would've mistaken him for a sculpture if it had not been for his mismatch eyes and starlight hair. He wore a sweater that hung loosely around his slender frame and an uncompassionate scowl.

"Subaru. Were you waiting for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I only want to give you final warning. Leave this place."

She searched his eyes for an explanation.

"Does…does this have anything to do with Ruki?" she asked, slowly fingering her metal cross around her neck for support.

"Yui," he said, dropping his voice to a murmur. "If I tried to kill you now, would you stop me?" he asked.

He moved forward and bore his fangs. She took a staggering step back.

"Would you stop me?"

It was an effort to even get her legs to move. She felt like she was stuck in tar. While she contemplated how quickly or slowly her life might end in that chilly hall, Subaru stared down into her frightened pupils. This wasn't the same Subaru that urged her to abandon this mansion and save herself from a doomed existence. This wasn't the same Subaru that gave her a silver blade for protection.

His eyes were glowing. Soon his hand moved into her hair, using it to draw her head back further.

Kisses were sometimes rough, Yui reminded herself. But Subaru's kiss was always different from the rest. They were echoes of his lonesome existence. She could feel his bitter sorrow pass through her when his lips rested on her neck. But he suddenly moved away and let out a noise between a gruff and a sigh. He ran a rough hand through his pale hair and looked at her despicably.

"That's it, then."

"I- she didn't know what to say. What did she do wrong? Perhaps it was all her father's doing. He'd probably condone such behavior, allowing others to make the hard decisions that determine the outcome of her life. At least, he didn't seem to have a problem doing so, letting the church send her to a place like this to keep the vampires quiet.

Subaru grabbed her wrist and dragged her down the hall.

"Subaru, where are you taking me?"

"Do you still have that silver knife I gave you?"

"Yes, I have it here," she said using her free hand to retrieve it from her pocket.

"You would've died," he hissed through his teeth.

"I don't believe you," she said as they entered the courtyard. They passed the garden of white roses, the fountain. When they were near the edge of the garden he thrusted her forward.

"You are the shallowest human I've ever known," he sounded angry. "What do you think you're achieving by staying here to be our blood pet? We will never be human again. We will always crave blood and kill for it. You're a fool if you think you'll survive this place much longer."

She looked away. She couldn't believe that. There was a lot more to these guys. He just couldn't see that.

"Get up," Subaru ordered.

She hesitated, but rose to her feet.

"Point the knife at me."

Despite her internal warnings, she felt compelled to bring it out. She was admiring the weight, the craftsmanship of the smooth cold plate when Subaru jerked her toward him.

She gasped loud and shut her eyes. The knife didn't move much further so she popped her eyes open to find he'd stopped it inches from his heart.

"This is the best place to strike. We die almost instantly. Still, it will be difficult for you because we can move quickly," he demonstrated this by materializing on the far end of the courtyard and then resumed his position square in front of her without her seeing him lift one foot. "Strike where you can, the silver will disorient us, burn us. You can even do so through our back to pierce the heart. Like this."

He moved in close to her as though he were going to bite her neck. His arms were wrapped around the small of her back. He used one arm to lift the knife through the crook of his arm.

Yui feebly held the blade and flinched when the tip of the blade settled on his back.

"Make sure you plunge it deep enough. You'll be sorry if you don't," he said, but he didn't moved. His body tensed against her and she knew what was coming.

She closed her eyes and ignored the piercing force through her flesh with a deep sigh.

"I…I get it Subaru," she said quietly, listening to the sound of her blood leaving her and joining the pleasant scent of the air. "You want to prove to me that vampires are lifeless monsters." He let out a moan against her neck and held her tighter, his gulps becoming more impatient.

"You may not have beating hearts…but you still have unique personalities…and natural emotions. Ayato…" she trailed off, feeling herself grow faint. "He's jealous. Possessive. Reiji…proud and polite…Shu…uninterested in anything besides his music. K-Kanato…shows compassion for his bear. And you live a melancholy existence that you blame yourself for. So I can't believe that you guys are just soulless creatures. Without the blood lust, you'd just be a regular person."

He stopped. Without a word he started away.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly, and he stopped. For a moment, they were just listening to the fountain in the courtyard and the hidden sounds of life pouring in from the night.

"If I had that fragile life of yours, I'd fight for it, Yui. I wouldn't let my fate be determined for me."

"Subaru-

"And stay away from Ruki. He's dangerous."

"You all are dangerous," she answered, still clutching the knife.

"Hmph, glad you realize that. Never let that knife out of your sight."


	5. Chapter 5: Hunger

Several nights passed and Ruki's seat at the head of the table had been reclaimed by Reiji.

No one spoke of the previous night.

Yui wondered what Ruki must've done in the past to make them hate him so much?

Despite their silence, she knew he was still somewhere in the mansion. She could smell him, a perfumed mixture of virility and wine-dipped roses.

Some nights she could even swear she saw him standing down the hall when she turned a corner, giving her a placid smile.

All she wanted now was to satisfy her own curiosity. But she couldn't go searching for him, especially now that her movement in the mansion was restricted to a bedroom she had never seen before.

It happened so after one night she was late for breakfast. The wound in her chest had been particularly bothersome. It had been throbbing all day as Reiji's medicine gradually faded, making the simplest task of brushing her hair difficult to manage. On top of that, she had horrible cramps that kept her completely bed-ridden.

She knew Reiji usually slipped his magic medicine into her prune juice. Although it gave it a much more awful taste, she was grateful. She wouldn't have survived without it. Its strength generally lasted her a few days before she needed another dose.

_Maybe Reji will let me skip breakfast and just have the medicine. _She didn't have much of an appetite anyways.

When she finally arrived everyone had already begun. "I'm really sorry for being late. I haven't been feeling well today," she told Reiji, wincing as she waited for his hateful outburst.

Instead, he and the others stopped mid-breakfast and lifted their heads, eyes closed, and inhaled deeply.

"Someone opened the floodgates," Laito murmured to himself with a short laugh. "Lovely."

"Cut yourself shaving, Pancake?" asked Ayato with a smirk.

Shu stood from his end of the table dabbing the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief. "I've finished _my _dinner." He then locked his lusty eyes on Yui like she was dessert. She gulped _there's no way _she thought, completely mortified as she backed carefully away from the table.

"Alright, that's enough," Reiji said, scraping his chair unpleasantly across the wood as he rose-. He crossed over to Yui and crudely grabbed her arm.

The piercing yelp that resonated through the room surprised everyone, including Reiji who quickly let go of the source.

With a look of terror on her face, Yui stared into their empty faces and lowered her head. She didn't scream that loud, did she?

"I hope I can make you scream like that someday," Laito said, cracking his blank face with a vicious grin.

Yui placed a starch white hand over her chest, wheezing softly from the effort of fighting a pain that inflamed her whole torso.

Reiji's face moved from shock into a scowl. "Follow me."

Like an obedient child, she followed his slender form to his study, where she knew he made the potions for her recovery. She was tempted to take a seat in one of the plush lounge chairs he had placed opposite of his desk, but decided to stand, so she wouldn't further aggravate her body.

_Just focus on breathing, _she told herself.

With a conspicuous turn of his back she watched Reiji take a small key out of his desk and walk over to a mahogany cupboard. He returned with a small flask filled with dark purple liquid. Yui didn't bother to ask what it was or what was in it.

"Do you know when I'll be completely healed?"

He narrowed his eyes, a look that told Yui she'd better shut her mouth.

As she chugged it back Ayato appeared in the doorway, arms crossed.

"Why isn't it working like it used to?" he asked watching Yui with predacious eyes, like a child who'd just realized his toy was broken and needed fixing.

"It's working just fine. We can't help nature." Reiji said, adjusting his glasses.

"You think_that's_ weakening it?" Ayato asked.

Yui blushed as she realized they were discussing her recent visit from Mother Nature.

"I wouldn't rule it out."

"You sure about that?" Ayato asked with a challenging glare. "You stopped doubling her doses a while ago. If anything she could be experiencing a withdrawal." However, the words rolled out of his mouth like it didn't matter to him either way.

Reiji gave Yui an apprehensive look. "Let's talk outside," he told him, then turned to Yui. "Stay right here. And don't touch anything."

For the most part she could hear nothing. Their voices were low and incoherent. At one point there was no mistaking Ayato's incredulous tone "That's the best you can do?"

"Since when do you care about what's best for her?" Reiji hissed back.

That sent her stomach into knots. Did Ayato actually feel something for her? She wasn't sure whether the potion had started working, but Yui suddenly felt warmer.

_Should I tell Reiji its working?_

"She needs more. Make more." Ayato wasn't trying to mask his voice any longer.

In return she heard a low snarl come from Reiji.

Meanwhile, Yui started to feel her body temperature significantly rise. It was amazing what that tiny bottle of liquid could do for her. A soothing cool had spread across her chest, made her feel ten times lighter. She raised her arms above her head, let out a soft giggle when she realized she couldn't feel a thing. She bent forward to touch her toes. The pleasant cooling effect quickly spread through her entire body. Every limb felt weightless.

_I should tell Reiji I'm feeling better. _

But the last thing she remembered was the sight of Reiji's maroon carpet closing in on her face.

* * *

Sunlight found its way over her bedroom sheets, and into her eyes. Yui blinked herself awake.

_Morning already? _But those sheets were too rough to be her own. And the room was too cold and dank to be hers for sure.

Slowly, she managed to pull her body into an upright position. This wasn't her room, she thought looking about the place. Now that she thought of it, she'd never seen this place before.

The polished black bedframe was just as large as her own, with a large burgundy canopy tucked aside. The room however was smaller and less extravagant hosting a dusty green armchair, a single wooden desk with a lamp and two windows on opposite sides of the room. There was also another door which she assumed led to the bathroom.

She started to think back to last night, but all she could remember was Reiji handing her medicine.

_Reiji. I should talk to him._ He might be able to tell her what happened. While she knew his nature would sneeringly decline to answer anything on her behalf, she could at least pander him into complaining about it.

She tossed her legs over the side of bed, disappointed that she didn't find her warm bedroom slippers there.

She walked across the chilly floor, hugging her body. When she tried to pry the bedroom door open, it wouldn't budge. _Well this is an old mansion. _

That's what she told herself each time she tugged and rattled the knob with all her strength would allow, but it wouldn't move. While she didn't want to seem panicked because she knew her captors enjoyed that, she rallied her hand into a feeble knock.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" she called out, biting her lip as she listened for an answer. "I think the door is jammed. Reiji?"

When she received silence in return, she sat on the edge of her bed and waited. _I guess they're all busy. _But they'd come for her, eventually. If there was one thing she knew about them, it was that they couldn't resist her blood.

But three days passed. Yui laid in the middle of her bed with her arms spread out as though she were making a snow angel. She stopped trying to open the door a long time ago. Her stomach ached with hunger. She felt completely deflated of energy, so she remained motionless for the most part of the day. After all, she hadn't eaten anything solid in four days.

She did manage to drink enough water from the faucet in her bathroom sink to fill a tub halfway. All it did was make her chuck it all back up.

Who brought her to this room? And why? Was it to starve her? Was it a new game that her captors wagered in on? _To see how long I can live without food? For the grand prize you can drink away what's left of my life. _

That couldn't be it. But she had a lot of time to think about it with nothing else in the room for amusement.

She was starting to worry something happened to them.

Did Ruki have something to do with it? They could be tied up or slain in the courtyard for all she knew. The thought almost made her smile and cry. _What am I thinking? That would be horrible. _

But soon her thoughts were replaced with old memories of her home, the church, and the times she'd fasted and went without food and water for days.

She hadn't had the choice then either.

She could still see her father's stern brown eyes in the back of her mind, could still hear him telling her how he'd be leaving overseas and she'd be staying with some friends.

_"__This is a tremendous opportunity," he had told her as he packed things from his desk in the Vestry of the church. "I've been called in the name of our Lord to witness to some lost souls across seas."_

_Yui wished she could go with him. It'd be pretty boring around without him telling her stories like David and the Goliath or Joshua, the warrior. "For how long?" she asked. _

_The question earned her a hard slap across the face. Her father stopped his packing and stared briefly at his hand. "Do you understand why I chastised you, Yui?" he asked calmly in a low voice._

_With a quiet nod, she averted her gaze. "In the honor of our Lord," she whispered. _

_"__Romans twenty" her father began as he sat on the corner of his desk and focused on her. "'Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?'. _

_"__I'm sorry." _

_"__It's not my forgiveness you need ask child. Cho-", he called outside his door to an elder. Cho was the oldest vestal in the church and the only one permitted to stand the presence of a male. The robed woman entered with her hands folded in front of her. _

_"__Make sure she fasts for three weeks," her father said with barely a glance at her. _

_It was the first time he'd made such a request. Cho gave him a quizzical look. _

_"__Our Lord fasted forty days and forty nights in the desert with no food or water," he answered. "We may not be able to salvage her soul, but we can at least force her to seek recluse in Him." _

_With a curt nod Cho led Yui out by the shoulders, digging her nails hard enough into Yui's flesh to leave bloody crescent marks. _

Yui couldn't help but shudder. She loved her father, even when he was hard on her.

_I still want to see him again someday. _She thought as she got up to go open a window. Bu her legs caved in like two limp noodles, sending her falling pitifully to the floor.

As she gathered the energy to rise, her eyes locked onto something beneath her bed and widened. "What's this?"

It was a completely dust ridden chest. It was bigger than she expected when she pulled it in front of her, and her body slumped at the sight of the key hole sealing it shut. Yui sighed as she dropped her fist on it. To her surprise it actually popped open.

_Must be really old to open so easily. _

Brushing the dust aside she found the initials _S.M_ engraved onto the brass lock. _I wonder who that could be. _But she wasted no time in figuring it out. Inside were numerous parchments of yellowish paper. She carefully placed those to the side. Underneath she found a variety of paintbrushes that looked centuries old and used. She took one and gently ran her fingers along the rough bristles, noting a few withering off at the touch. Beneath those were little jars of hard paint.

_I wonder whose these belong to_, Yui thought in amazement.

There was a faded red that reminded her of dried blood. It made her stomach churn. She picked up the other colors. Yellow, blue, forest green and white. Each had its own little jar and were aligned accordingly from light to dark. Some were less filled than others, particularly the white and green.

_Maybe this S.M painted landscapes_.

Folded against one side of the chest was what appeared to be a wooden easel. She carefully lifted it out of the case and tried to pull the long pieces into place, but the wood immediately split and she found it was actually lopsided when fully assembled.

But she wouldn't let that stop her. Revitalized by her discovery, Yui stood on unsteady legs and took a few jars of paint to the bathroom.

Once she spread the blank parchment across the floor she had an idea for her first piece. Brushing wild strands of hair aside and wiping away tears she hadn't noticed before, Yui began to paint.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter. Trust me, you don't want to miss what I have in store :)**


	6. Chapter 6: Antidote

**Thanks to all who have stuck with me and my extensive period of writer's block. The wait is finally over. Comments and constructive criticism are much appreciated. Enjoy!**

* * *

There was something soothing about the way her paintbrush curved against the parchment before her.

The slow, gentle strokes reminded her of ballroom dancing. She hummed as she painted; a little hymn she used to sing before the nuns and get pinched for if she sang out of tune.

When she finally looked up, she found the floor completely littered with paintings.

_There are so many_, she thought as she crawled across the floor, careful not to rub the fresh canvases. She took up the very first painting she had done and sighed deeply at the six pairs of eyes that stared back at her. She'd stretched them out along the edges as if they were looking at something beyond the confinements of the paper. At the very center of the circling pairs she stared into Ruki's dark gaze. They looked somewhere between amusement and attention. She wasn't too sure if it was correct. It was hard to as much as glance at him without fear and interest, two things that were sure to catch more than his attention.

She managed to capture each of their gazes. Upon closer inspection she was even surprised that for an amateur, she'd managed to emphasize the scorn in Reiji's eyes that was always directed at her. She embodied the demanding and somewhat possessive quality in Ayato's bright green orbs. And then she touched Subaru's eyes, presently casting her a pained expression.

Something about his figurative pain reminded her of her actual one, flashes of it hitting her like strobe lights, and she soon found herself quivering on the wooden panels, clutching her chest as the excruciating throb spread through her chest at moderate haste.

She couldn't think, she couldn't move, not even to bring herself from the fetal position to lift her head. The memory of striking herself in the heart rushed through her mind and she could all but feel the silver tip once more, only it probed and dug around the flesh in her heart with a merciless hand.

She cried out.

_Anybody, please-_

She'd never felt it as this capacity. Before it only encompassed her heart and chest, but she could feel the same effect all over her body, inflaming her as it took over her in short waves that expanded with each passing second into one unending circle of pain.

Warm liquid began traveling down her neck. She carefully brought her hands up, and stared in horror when she discovered blood at her fingertips.

_What's happening to me?_

She started to wrench her body along the floor, arms first while the rest of her followed. Several times she stopped, gasping and wheezing, expecting death to take her, wanting it to. But she found her way to the bathroom, grasping the doorway for support as she pulled her tiny frame up and found herself in the mirror.

Blood escaped from freshly made bite marks along her neck. There were so many, Yui briefly panicked that someone was in the room with her. But when she tossed her head behind her she saw no one.

She stumbled forward and quickly grabbed the sink before she could lose her balance, looked closer at herself while taking on the endless contraction of sharp agony.

She could now see every bite mark ever planted on her, even the ones that had healed long ago had reappeared with fresh blood leaving its crevices.

The ache spread down her legs, and she lost what strength she had as she sprawled out on the tiled bathroom floor. She felt every limb burning within her, like somewhat set hot wax loose in her veins, and her heart attempting to punch a hole through her chest.

_I'm going to die here, _she thought as her mouth went dry and her throat began closing on itself.

As her vision focused on the porcelain bathtub ahead of her, she could only think of the hymn she droned earlier, "Send the light", while she watched her vision turn completely black.

* * *

Yui found herself back in her bed at nightfall, with a pulsating migraine and a sore throat. The inexplicable pain from earlier had subsided into a dull ache accompanied with nausea.

She immediately recognized the familiar scent before finding the dark shadow in the corner, with his back turned on her. There was a single long candle lit. All she could see were the silvery tips of his hair and his draped form moving a brush gracefully against a canvas.

Somehow fear made all her previous sufferings nonexistent.

The back that faced her was clearly Ruki's. One arm rested behind his back while the other painted against the wooden easel that Yui was positive she had broken earlier.

"You paint, "she said weakly, her voice sounding strange and distant to her.

Without turning he answered. "My father did." But by the way his arm moved in slow, deliberate gestures, she knew this was certainly his craft. "I see you've been keeping busy."

Yui casted a sober look at her paintings, some of which had been smeared in her death-crawl earlier. "Why am I here?" she asked softly.

"You mean alive?" he asked indifferently. "It's as much a shock to me as anyone else. Don't worry Yui, you will be dead soon enough," he said, clearly much more interested in his painting rather than the conversation.

Yui put a hand on her chest. Her heart was beating normally again. Despite the hunger pains she thought she'd live to see at least, another day.

"Earlier I felt…I thought it was over."

She looked at the back of his head, which was tilted thoughtfully to one side as if he might be listening. Yui moved to get out of bed and noticed his ghostly form freeze.

"Stop," he hissed.

"Please," Yui said.

He turned to face her, the first face she'd seen in weeks.

His eyes glowed with hunger and dark desire.

Although his gaze was cold and devoid of warmth from the backlight of candlelight, she was still glad to have another face in the room, despite the next set of news he gave her.

"You are dying, Yui," he said before turning his back once more. "Reiji's healing medicine is… in short supply these days."

When Yui said nothing, he turned back to look at her, studying her. "You thought it was working."

When all she could do was gape at him he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "Ayato is right to tease you. You are astoundingly naïve," he said, coolly turning back to his previous task.

If the medicine wasn't working? What was it doing to her? She thought.

As if he had read her mind Ruki said "You weren't going to last much longer here with that injury. You still have Cordelia's heart, a vampire's heart, twice slain, thanks to your heroic effort and Reiji. However," he said making short, quick brushstrokes against the canvas in fierce concentration. "Since your flesh lived on, it was the only thing keeping you alive while it slowly weakened."

"B-but the medicine-" It couldn't be.

"A special potion of Reiji's own creation to concentrate your blood, giving it greater potency. After your death he will use your remnants to produce more, thereby giving him and his brothers an endless supply. You see, Yui they no longer need you."

So he'd been just using her the entire time? Yui thought, feeling the whole weight of her body sink into the bed. It wasn't possible. That means-"They brought me here to die?" she asked herself more than Ruki.

He kept painting like he hadn't heard her. Although she knew he could hear the very blood running through her veins. Her heart started to pound, her head throb as the room began a slow twirl around her.

She swallowed, her momentary confusion dissipating. She was suddenly aware that Ruki's presence was a serious threat.

"I wouldn't get too worked up," he said tranquilly, listening closely to the faint heartbeat inside of her. "Working the heart overtime will only speed up the process."

"Are…are you here to kill me?" she asked, carefully.

Before Yui could blink he stood right at her bedside, lifting the ends of her platinum hair between his fingers. "On the contrary, Yui. I'm here to free you. I have the antidote."

"You're letting me go?" a surge of hope spreading through her as she placed a feeble hand on his wrist.

The move faltered him for a moment, but he quickly recovered before she could notice as he moved closer to her face. His eyes appeared a bottomless pit of black while a grin tilted the corners of his perfect mouth.

"I'm going to make you one of us."


End file.
